In Which
by randomreader WITH a profile
Summary: In which Anakin and Padme oversleep, Ahsoka is a super-sleuth in training, many misunderstandings occur, and Obi-Wan (as usual) picks up the pieces. Oh, and Bail is just confused about all of the above. The moral of this tale? Always check your holster before jumping out the window.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I have returned! See, I actually started to write this around 2 months ago, but then this thing called life got in the way. But alas, I have managed to get 3 chapters written amidst my chaotic life, and should be writing more soon :-) My plan is to have at least 7 chapters, but we'll see how that goes...for now, I present the first chapter of "In Which!" Enjoy!  
**

**Chapter One- In Which There is a Rude Awakening**

In a spacious apartment at 500 Republica, Anakin Skywalker gazed lovingly at his beautiful wife. She looked so peaceful as the morning sun cast its rays upon her sleeping face.

It wasn't often that the Jedi and the Senator were both on Coruscant…..and let's just say that they had spent the last night making the most of their time.

He frowned as he remembered his initial reason for waking up. His blasted comlink had gone off, forcing him to jump out of bed and hit ignore. Luckily, the Senator slept on.

The Jedi Knight smiled, luxuriating in the presence of his wife. He closed his eyes, prepared to fall back into blissful slumber.

The serene silence was suddenly interrupted by a beeping noise. Anakin swore under his breath and forced the comlink over, hoping to silence it before his angel awakened. As he hit the button, however, he turned to see Padme Amidala Skywalker blinking sleepily at him.

"I thought you'd be back at the Temple by now," she said, pleasantly surprised that her husband was still there. He shrugged lazily and lay back down, pulling Padme into a hug. "It's still early, and the Council can wait. I am spending some much needed time with my wife."

She smiled, liking the sound of that. They laid in silence, Padme's head resting on Anakin's shoulder. "I wish it could always be like this," she whispered.

The moment, however, was short-lived. The silence was once again interrupted by Anakin's comlink beeping. He groaned. "What is so important? This is the third time!" Padme frowned. "You should probably answer."

Anakin sighed, raising the comlink to his lips. "Skywalker here," he growled, allowing annoyance to leak into his voice.

"Where the heck are you?" an equally annoyed, feminine tone burst out.

"Snips?" Anakin asked in surprise. "Since when do you comm me this early?"

An exasperated huff could be heard from the other side. "Since you disappear for 14 hours without contact, and I am suddenly bombarded by every Jedi on Coruscant wanting to know where you are!"

The Padawan took a deep breath before continuing. "Master Kenobi wants to lecture you, Master Che says that you missed your checkup, Master Luminara says that your hair gel is missing, Master Fisto wants to see you smile, and the Council has a mission for us. And early? Skyguy, it's almost midday!"

The couple looked at each other in surprise. "We really slept in," Padme whispered. There was a knock at the door. "Mistress Padme?" C-3PO's voice sounded, "Senator Bail Organa has arrived."

"Is that Threepio I hear?" Ahsoka's voice crackled through. "Master, where _are_ you?!"

Anakin's eyebrows shot up. "No! That's not Threepio! That is just….a droid. That I fixed. Last night. For a guy. Uh, yeah."

"Is that seriously the best you can do?" Padme hissed.

C-3PO stuck his head through the door. "And Mistress Padme? He says it's urgent."

Meanwhile, Ahsoka was still talking to Anakin. "AAAH! Master! Now Windu wants to kill you! And he thinks that I'm hiding you, so he wants to kill me!"

Padme flung her arms frantically, trying to make the dense droid understand that it needed to get out, _now._

On the comlink, there was the sound of crashing. "Master! WHY THE HECK DID YOU PAINT WINDU'S SPEEDER PINK?! You better get your butt over here, or I'll-" the connection crackled before cutting off. Anakin looked at the comlink in shock, hoping his Padawan was okay.

Meanwhile, C-3PO finally took the hint and shut the door, his voice drifting off. "I'll just show him in. I will never understand human hand gestures…" Anakin and Padme looked at each other in panic before jumping out of bed. They started to hurriedly dress, searching the room frantically for different articles of clothing and accessories.

"Yours, mine, yours…."

"Yours, mine….."

"Yours, mine, mine…why are you in your 'investigation outfit?'"

"Hey, that's mine! And because when Bail shows up unexpectedly, something's always wrong."

"And then I always end up rescuing you! You can't keep putting yourself—Bail? Wait! Since when is he 'Bail?!' His first name is 'Senator'…."

"We are not having this conversation right now. That's yours, mine….."

"You are merely postponing the inevitable, you know...…yours, yours, yours…..why do girls have so many clothes?"

Within 2 minutes, the couple was fully, albeit messily, dressed. They heard footsteps getting closer. Anakin tossed Padme a hairbrush before giving her a quick kiss.

He then ran onto the balcony and jumped off, just as the door opened.

* * *

Padme hurriedly ran her fingers through her hair and put on her Senator face, trying to act as though her secret, forbidden husband hadn't just jumped out the window.

Senator Organa walked in. "Bail! So nice to see you," Padme began. Bail looked around the room furtively. "Do you have a place more private? I bring grave news."

Amidala's eyebrows shot up. When she had said that Organa always brought unexpected bad news, she hadn't meant it literally! She quickly ushered him into her sitting room, which doubled as her secret meeting room when the time required.

"Now Bail," she said frankly, sitting down, "what could you have possibly found this morning?"

The Senator from Alderaan leaned in. "Senator Chuchi is missing."

Padme gasped. "What?"

He nodded, continuing. "I was supposed to meet her for tea this morning. We were going to discuss the new bill, but she never showed up."

Amidala gazed at him skeptically. "She could've just forgot. Not everything is a Separatist conspiracy, you know."

Bail shook his head. "Let me finish. After waiting for about an hour, I decided to stop by her apartment. I found the door unlocked, so I poked my head in." He lowered his voice further. "Padme, the room was trashed. There were signs of struggle, and I saw purple splotches on the floor."

"Purple?" Padme asked, raising an eyebrow.

Organa nodded. "Pantoran blood is purple." Amidala was beginning to look worried. "Be frank with me, Bail. What are you implying?" He looked her in the eye. "Senator Chuchi was kidnapped."

Padme rapidly paled. "By whom?"

Bail shook his head. "I have no idea."

"What are we going to do?"

"I have no idea."

Organa took one look at his colleague's face and knew where this was going. "Padme, no," he started.

She looked at him in anger. "No? What do you mean no?"

He looked her in the eyes. "I mean no. You are not going to play detective on this one. I have already contacted the authorities, and-"

"They never get anything done!" Amidala interrupted. "By the time they even get over there, Riyo could be halfway across the galaxy! We know her, we have a better chance of finding her."

"Yes, but-"

"She would do the same for us."

"I understand that, Padme, however-"

"Don't you try and Organa-ize your way out of this one! You were the one who woke me up in the first place! So, now you have to deal with my investigating."

Bail sighed, knowing that there was no stopping the headstrong Senator now. "Fine, we do it your way."

Padme looked at him in confusion. "We?"

"If I can't stop you, I have to accompany you. That was the deal."

"Deal? Who in the galaxy did you make that deal with?"

"Anakin Skywalker, strangely enough. I guess he is tired of rescuing you."

Amidala flashed a nervous smile as her cheeks flushed. "Yeah, I guess," she answered. _Really Ani? You have got to be kidding me! That man, I swear…_

Organa stood up. Despite his earlier protests, Padme recognized the adventurous gleam in his eyes. "So, where do we start?"

**Any constructive tips are more than welcome! I expect the next chapter will be up sometime next week. Please review!**

**Ps. Is it normal for the Doc Manager to not transfer your format? I had to go through the entire chapter and add line breaks, italics, etc. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Aaaaand on with chapter 2! I thank all who take the time to review, because each new ding makes me grin like a crazy person...(and then my little sister walks in and asks me why in the world I'm grinning at my email box...) Oh, and Katierosefun-thanks for the advice! It worked! **

**And for whosoever was wondering, this story takes place during Season 2. So Ahsoka's still tube-toppin, bounty hunters are still running amok, Ventress is still fully evil, and certain events in Season 3 will eventually be completely ignored :-)**

**Chapter 2- In Which Snips Lives up to Her Nickname**

Anakin sped across Coruscant, thankful that he had had the foresight to park his yellow speeder directly underneath Padme's balcony.

He flew as he normally did—well, he called it normal. His overdramatic former Master tended to classify his flying more along the lines of suicide. Why he said that, Anakin had no idea, but—_whoops! That's a speeder, that's a speeder…...Phew, that was a close one. Force! There's a cab, there's a cab! C'mon you piece of junk, pull up! _"Watch it!" a Rodian yelled as Anakin nearly crashed into his taxi.

The former pod-racer continued to cut through traffic. In a dangerously short amount of time, he successfully navigated his speeder throughout the Coruscanti skies and into a Temple hanger.

The Chosen One jumped out, already scanning for Ahsoka's force signature. He found it moving throughout the Temple, heading his way. He stepped out of the hanger and into the main Temple hallway, before stopping in confusion. The force told him that Ahsoka was right above him, but that wasn't possible! Unless…..

"Woah!" "Oomph!" Anakin was slammed to the ground. He glanced dizzily at the open ventilation shaft above him, before looking at the equally dizzy apprentice lying on top of him.

Ahsoka raised her head, rubbing her lekku and looking dazed. "Master?"

Anakin looked at her in confusion. "Snips? Why were you in the ventilation shafts?"

Ahsoka obviously had regained her senses by now. She pushed herself up and looked at him indignantly."You! _You _are why I was in the vents! Windu has been chasing me for the past thirty minutes for something _you _did! Where have you been? Seriously, you can't just disappear like that! Master Kenobi is always telling you to-"

Skywalker raised his hands in surrender as he stood up, looking to the hallway beyond his fiery apprentice. "Snips, chill out. I'm sorry about Windu, but right now I think the smartest course of action is to run."

She looked up at him in confusion. "Run? Why?"

Anakin pointed behind her. Ahsoka turned to see Master Windu, staring at them with a murderous expression.

She turned back, eyes wide. "Running works for me!"

Master and Padawan sprinted down the halls of the Temple, cloaking their presences in the force. After 5 minutes of twists and turns, they ducked into a vacant room.

"I…..think we…lost him," Anakin said, panting.

Ahsoka nodded, panting as well. "Why the….heck did…..you paint….his speeder…..PINK?"

Her Master shrugged. "It was originally purple. I was trying to make up for the cafeteria-droid fiasco, but the paint must've faded."

Tano raised a facial marking. "Ya think?!"

He sighed. "Look, I said I was sorry. What else did you say I missed?"

Ahsoka leaned against the wall, counting on her fingers. "Well, the most important is a Council briefing. But you also missed a Kenobi lecture, a check-up, something about hair gel from Luminara, and-"

"Hair gel?" Anakin asked in concern. (A little known fact about Anakin Skywalker: without his special-ordered-by-Padme hair-gel, his hair would puff up into an eighties-worthy afro. And how was he supposed to kick butt with an afro? Therefore, this seemingly small matter was extremely important to the long-haired Jedi.) "What hair gel?"

Padawan Tano (unaware of the impending threat of afro-ness) shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? All I heard was 'missing blue hair gel' before I was off and running again."

Skywalker nodded, formulating a plan. "Okay. So we'll first meet up with the Council, and then we'll rendezvous with Luminara to get the necessary intel regarding my favorite hair product. Now, we need to perform this operation amidst avoiding Windu, Kenobi, and diabolical Healers. We need to plot a course around the Halls of Healing so that we don't get ambushed-"

He stopped and glanced at Ahsoka, who was laughing. "What?"

She shook her head. "We're walking through the Temple, not enemy territory!"

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what would happen if Windu caught us? This _is _enemy territory."

Ahsoka crossed her arms. "Enemy territory," she repeated, walking out the door. "Whatever you say, Skyguy."

"It's a decent analogy," he protested, following his apprentice as she made her way up to the Council Chambers. They waited outside the ornate chamber doors for several minutes before they opened, letting the Master-Padawan team into the circular room.

Anakin's eyes widened in apprehension as he saw both Windu _and _Kenobi seated in the circle of chairs, their eyes narrowing as he walked in. "Enemy territory indeed," Ahsoka muttered, smirking at her Master's plight.

Before the two angry Masters could do anything drastic, Master Yoda intervened. "Late, you are, Skywalker. Been where have you?"

The Knight in question shifted nervously. "I was fixing a droid for a friend in the city," he said, recalling his hasty excuse from earlier.

It was obvious that Kenobi and Windu didn't buy it. Yoda nodded, however, dismissing the issue for the time being. "A mission, we have for you."

Master Koon spoke up. "Senator Riyo Chuchi has been kidnapped."

Ahsoka gasped. "Chuchi? What? How?"

Koon shook his head. "We do not know. We received this transmission only this morning."

The windows darkened as a hologram formed in the center of the chamber. A sneering Asajj Ventress appeared, the blue form flickering.

"Hello, Skywalker. As you and your Padawan are well aware, I have taken a certain blue Senator package hostage. I understand that this is very troubling to you, and trust me, I am very glad. If you want it back, I suggest you two come and find me—alone. When you get here, we will…..negotiate for it's return. You have 24 hours."

The transmission cut out.

"Are you sure she was referring to Senator Chuchi? There are a number of blue-skinned Senators," Anakin pointed out skeptically.

"She is the only blue-skinned Senator that the both of you have had extensive contact with. Plus, we have intercepted a report of a break-in at the Senator's apartment, and no sign of her," Master Gallia answered.

"We have to rescue her!" Ahsoka said worriedly.

"Rescue her, you will. Your mission, this is," Yoda said.

"Remember Anakin, this could be a trap," Obi-Wan cautioned, managing to sneak in a hint of a lecture.

Anakin smirked over his shoulder as they turned towards the exit. "Oh, don't worry, Master. It's always a trap."

As the Master-Padawan team exited the door, they could hear varying degrees of sighs and laughter throughout the room.

**Next up: In Which Investigations Bear Fruit...Sort-of**

**(The next chap won't be posted for a week or two, cause I'm going camping...no wifi on deserted islands)**


	3. Chapter 3

** Disclaimer: If I were George Lucas, I would have no use for fanfiction. **

**Chapter 3—In Which Investigations Bear Fruit….Sort of.**

Padme Amidala and Bail Organa snuck through the hallways of 500 Republica, hoping to reach Senator Chuchi's room before the police.

Padme poked her head around the final corner, before jerking back around. "That will make things difficult," she muttered.

"What is it?" Bail whispered.

"There's two red guards at the door," she whispered back.

Bail sighed. "Making sure no one disturbs the scene for the police, I presume."

They stood in silence for a moment, both trying to brainstorm up a way past the guards. Organa poked his own head around the corner, surveying the scene, before turning towards Padme.

"Okay," he began, still whispering, "here's the plan. I will distract the guards at the door while you sneak into the room. Try and find a clue as to who kidnapped Riyo, and where they took her."

Amidala nodded. "Got it."

The Alderaanian Senator backed up, before running around the corner, acting as though he had come quite a distance.

"Someone…has broken…into my…apartment!" Organa panted, looking up at the red guards in a convincingly panicked way. "I was….walking in…..but the door was wide open! The place…..was trashed!"

The guards looked at each other and nodded. "Where is your apartment?" one asked. "This way," Bail said, pointing down the hallway opposite to Padme.

"Stay here," the guard said to the other, before following Organa down the hallway.

Padme made a sound of dissatisfaction as only one guard walked away with Bail, leaving her to deal with the other. She leaned her head back against the wall and thought. Her eyes wandered upwards to the ceiling, where they landed on the cover of a ventilation shaft. She smiled, remembering one of Ahsoka's stories. If only she was tall enough…..

Just then, an astromech came whizzing down the hallway, giving her an idea.

"Hey, you!" Padme whisper-shouted. The droid swiveled its flat-topped head towards her and gave a questioning beep.

"I need your help…."

* * *

5 minutes, an extraordinary amount of balance, and several twists and turns later; Padme lowered herself through the open ventilation shaft cover and into Senator Riyo Chuchi's sitting room.

She let go of the shaft and dropped onto the couch, quickly clambering down. She glanced at the open front door and saw the guard's back towards her, oblivious to her entry. She nodded to herself and got to work.

Padme allowed herself to take inventory of the room. She quickly spotted the purple spots Bail had mentioned, leading in a trail towards the door. She traced the source of the trail to the kitchen, which was in shambles.

Drawers were open, table askew, chairs on the ground, a big puddle of purple blood; it was not hard to imagine a fight taking place. And fight Riyo would, if she was being kidnapped. Padme fought the worried panic that rose within her. Chuchi needed her to stay calm.

She took a deep, cleansing breath, before examining everything closer; looking for a clue as to where Riyo was taken. Recalling a lesson from Anakin, she hurried to the missing Senator's comlink. "Always check the comm history. An inexperienced criminal will almost always call first, making sure that the owner is or isn't at the house. Find the source of the call, and you got your guy."

Padme began scrolling through the history. She found several calls from Bail, one from Chairman Papanoida, and…..bingo. The most recent call on the list was an unknown ID, based in Corellia._ That's our first stop_, Padme thought in determination.

She stared at the comlink a moment more, debating whether or not to call the number. Yes, she would find out who was behind the kidnapping, but the kidnapper would also know that she was on their trail.

It was a no-brainer. Padme was about to press the call button when she heard a voice coming from the door.

"Ah, we've been expecting you."

The police must've arrived! She took one more longing look at the comlink before sighing in defeat. After replacing it on the table, she bounced up onto the couch.

She heard the sound of footsteps coming closer. Padme quickly pulled herself into the open ventilation shaft and shut the cover behind her.

If she had taken only one minute longer to make her escape, she would've witnessed a familiar Master-Padawan team making its entry into the scene of crime.

* * *

"Master, we already know that Ventress has Chuchi! What are we doing here?"

Anakin paused his sweep of the Senator's apartment to shoot Ahsoka an amused look. "You know nothing about investigation, do you?"

She rolled her eyes and moved from her position outside the door. "If you hadn't noticed, I've been a bit busy saving my Master's butt on the battlefield. It doesn't leave much time for detective lessons."

He shook his head, deciding to ignore her snippy comment. "The first rule of investigation," he began, resuming his examination of the ransacked kitchen, "is to return to the scene of crime. Even though you know who did it, you don't know where they are."

"Then why did we return to the one place we know they aren't?" Ahsoka challenged. "Shouldn't we be at the Temple, trying to locate Ventress's ship?"

Anakin pointed at her. "That's one way to go about it. However, that happens to be perhaps the slowest method there is. And remember, we only have 24 hours to get this done."

"Since we are on such a tight time-table, why don't you stop dancing around the point and tell me why we are here!" she exclaimed. The sight of the purple puddle had successfully increased her worry for her friend, and the last thing she needed was Skyguy turning into some sort of big-shot, monologuing detective.

Skywalker, clearly enjoying his advantage over Ahsoka, began to walk slowly towards the sitting room. "In the words of the great 'Negotiator,' 'A great leap forwards may first require taking two steps back.' So 2 steps back we are."

He stopped his stroll at the table, casually picking up Senator Chuchi's comlink. "What are you doing?!" Ahsoka asked in exasperation, watching her Master fiddle with the comlink.

"I am looking through the comm history…" His gaze landed on the most recent call. "Aha!" he announced.

His Padawan moved closer, looking over his shoulder. "Corellia?" she asked. "Who called her from Corellia?"

Anakin smiled knowingly. "Quiet your mind and think a minute. Who kidnapped Riyo?"

"Ventress, but how…" Ahsoka's eyes widened. "Ventress must be on Corellia!"

Anakin nodded. "Or at least she was. We will soon find out."

"You'd think she'd be more thorough than to leave her trail uncovered," Ahsoka commented, frowning.

"She would, if she didn't want to be found. However, I am starting to agree with Obi-Wan that this is indeed a trap."

"Of course."

As they exited the apartment, Ahsoka gazed up at her Master in speculation. "How'd you know to check the comm history, anyways?"

He patted her on the shoulder. "Elementary, my dear Snips."

**Happiness is a rainy day. They successfully free up your day for some much-needed relaxation and writing time :-) Hoped you enjoyed chapter 3, and please review!**

**Next up: In Which I Have Not Thought Of A Fitting Chapter Name  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4—In Which Obi-Wan Spends Some Quality Time With the Floor**

Obi-Wan Kenobi strode with a purpose into the main lobby of 500 Republica. Anakin had rushed off, as usual, before making any sort of plan or consulting anyone. Kenobi, being the thorough person he was, had examined the ransom call and quickly traced its source to Corellia.

Of course, his wonderfully responsible former padawan had forgotten his comm who-knows-where. So, now Obi-Wan had to _go _to the massive apartment complex, _find_ Anakin, and give him the information.

And then proceed to lecture him about the many useful applications of comms and why-in-the-name-of-the-force did he even take his off in the first place?

Kenobi was startled out of his internal ranting as he ran into the front desk. He glanced up, preparing to profusely apologize….but there was no one there. In fact, as he looked around, there was no one _anywhere._

Obi-Wan stood there for a moment in confusion. He had no clue how to get to Senator Chuchi's apartment without directions, and the receptionist was nowhere to be found.

Taking one more glance around, the Jedi Master hopped over the desk and turned on the computer, hoping to gain access to the resident guide, or at least a map of the building.

"Blast it," he muttered the computer screen flashed red, asking for a keycard. If Anakin were here, he would be inside in a heartbeat. But of course, it was _Anakin_ that he had to find.

With a resigned sigh, Obi-Wan made his way to the turbo lift. He would be doing this the old-fashioned way—one floor at a time.

* * *

Padme Amidala had been called many things in her lifetime. Sadly, a navigator had never been one of them. This would explain why she now found herself lost in the massive ventilation system of 500 Republica.

When she had originally jumped into the vent back in Riyo's apartment, she had been planning to simply retrace her steps. However, she soon realized that the entire floor was crawling with the Coruscanti Police Department. So, she had decided, she would simply proceed to the next floor before hopping out and finding Bail. Easier said than done.

Padme, after finally finding the connection shaft, had a rather difficult time maneuvering herself down the 180 degree drop that connected every floor in the building. And then she slipped, causing her to fall an unknown number of floors before her fingers latched onto an opening.

After managing to pull herself into this (rather small and hot) ventilation shaft, Padme had been crawling blindly around the maze of shafts, her only priority being to _get-the-heck-out-of-what-was-obviously-one-of-the-nine-Corellian-hells—_

Without warning, the distinguished Senator fell with a rather undistinguishing shriek through an unstable cover, landing onto something that moaned. Rubbing her head, Padme pushed herself up, only to find herself on none other than…

"Master Kenobi?" she asked in confusion. Said Jedi was rubbing his ginger head, looking at her blearily. "Senator?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, hurriedly pushing herself up. "I could ask you the same thing," Kenobi stated, his gaze shifting to the swinging vent cover. Padme shifted nervously.

"What exactly were you doing in the ventilation shafts?" he clarified, standing up with a grunt. Padme opened and closed her mouth, at a temporary loss of words. "Well, you see…." she began.

Suddenly, a figure came flying around the corner of the hallway, barreling into Master Kenobi and tackling him to the ground.

"Bail?!" Padme exclaimed in surprise. "Padme! We have to go!" he announced.

"Oh, don't worry about me," Obi-Wan remarked sarcastically, "the twice-trampled Jedi is fine!"

"What are you doing?!" Padme continued, paying Kenobi no mind.

Bail opened his mouth to reply, but before he could do that, a group of police droids came whirring around the corner, stun guns raised. "Halt!" one announced.

Amidala looked at Organa in askance. "Later! When we're not being pursued by the police!" he shouted. Without further delay, the two Senators dashed to the turbo lift, intent on exiting the apartment complex.

Meanwhile, a disgruntled, forgotten, and rather confused Kenobi pushed himself to his feet.

Before being trampled once more by ten police droids yelling, "Halt!" and heading full speed towards the turbo lifts.

Obi-Wan hit the ground with another grunt. He scowled as he pushed himself up _again_, muttering to the empty hallway. " 'The Great Negotiator!' Master Jedi! Has led hundreds of battles, and can't even make it down a blasted hallway! Force-forsaken droids and politicians crawling through airvents and forgetful former padawans….."

Kenobi continued to rant to himself as he entered the now vacated turbo-lift, before continuing his search by proceeding to the next floor.

* * *

The two Senators did not stop running until they were in a secluded alleyway, several blocks from 500 Republica.

"_What…_did you….do?" a panting Padme asked the equally tired Bail. He sighed.

"Well, my plan was to lead the guard to one of the top floors, before losing him and doubling back to Chuchi's room. It went along perfectly—I told the guard to walk in front of me in case of ambush, and then ran back to the turbo-lift before he noticed—until I reached Chuchi's hallway. It was swarming with—"

"Police droids, I know," Padme commented wearily. "That's how I ended up crawling through ventilation shafts."

Organa's head whipped around, for the first time noticing that she was covered in grime. "You did what?!"

"I don't want to talk about it," she answered shortly. "Anyways, I'm still wondering why the droids were chasing you."

"Oh, yes. Well, my plan was to sneak into the room to find you, but I had forgotten about the other guard. When I heard him talking to a Jedi, I thought that you were busted—"

"Jedi? Who?" Amidala interrupted once more.

"Let me finish!" Bail exclaimed, before sighing. "All I heard him say was 'Master Jedi' before I decided to backtrack and meet you in the lobby. Unfortunately, the first guard had since noticed my absence, and was just exiting the turbo-lift. I pushed passed him in a dash to the lift, but he ordered the droids after me. I hadn't realized until inside the lift that some prankster had pressed _every single_ floor button. After waiting through several stops, I decided to just get out and find a different lift. Sadly, the droids had the same idea I did."

"And then you all ran into Master Kenobi," Padme concluded.

"That was Master Kenobi?!" Bail exclaimed. "I didn't even notice!"

"I wonder why he was there to begin with," Padme mused. "Don't waste your time," Organa said, shaking his head, "there's no figuring a Jedi."

Padme laughed softly, thinking of Anakin. "True enough."

"So, did you find anything in Riyo's apartment?" Bail asked her. She nodded, her mind getting back on topic. "Her most recent call was based in Corellia."

"I wasn't aware she had friends there," Bail said.

"She doesn't," Padme answered. "And that's why Corellia is our first stop."

* * *

"Snips, did you really have to push every single button as we were getting out of the turbo-lift?"

"What can I say, Master? You taught me everything I know."

"Good point. Now where's the Twilight? We've got an appointment with a—"

"Friend-stealing hairless-harpie seppie?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

**Hey! Sorry for the long wait, but end of the year is killer :/ Between cramming for exams, and getting last-minute community service, and what kind of teacher assigns a ****_Geometry _****project?! But I only have a week of 9th grade left, and then I'm freeeeeeeeee! Okay, sorry for boring you with my hectic life. Once summer rolls around, updates should be quicker...please review!** **And as always, constructive criticism is welcome :-)**

**Next up-In Which The Twilight Enters The Madness**


	5. Chapter 5

**(Edited to fix a typo and to undo the lie I told about the next chapter title)**

**Okay, I know. I'm awful. But here's an extra-long chapter to make up for it! (Over twice the size of my usual! I just couldn't find a good stopping point)  
**

**Chapter 5—In Which the Twilight Enters the Madness**

The Corellian shuttle was crowded. Now, being two distinguished senators, Amidala and Organa could have easily boarded a nicer ship, or just have used one of their own. However, these particular Senators did not want to be recognized. Awkward questions would be soon to follow, and next thing they'd know the Jedi would be escorting them back to the Senate Building, assuring them that the Coruscanti Police Department had it all under control. Which they obviously didn't.

So, Padme pulled the hood of her newly acquired cloak lower over her widely known face, blending into the crowd. Bail, also cloaked, forged a way to the only seats remaining—in the back of the ship. Padme squeezed herself between two squabbling Twi-leks and planted herself into a seat, Bail right next to her.

She surveyed her surroundings, lips pursed. The shuttle was only supposed to seat fifteen, but there were at least two-dozen people crowded into the enclosed space. But hey, if this was the only way to rescue Chuchi, Padme could deal with a little over-crowding. At least the seat next to her remained vacant.

Until a drunk Mon-Calamari practically face-planted into said seat, smelling strongly of Jawa-Juice and rotten fish. He then proceeded to push himself around, strap himself in, and shut his eyes; snoring after his second breath.

She glanced at Bail, who was attempting to stifle his laughs through a series of unconvincing coughs. She stuck out her tongue, causing him to laugh even more. As the ship took off with a rather frightening jolt, Padme sighed. This was going to be a long flight.

* * *

"Ahsoka! What happened?!"

"Don't blame me! You're the one who _insisted _that we take the Twilight!"

"_You_ entered the coordinates!"

"For Corellia!"

"Then how, my dear Padawan, did we end up in the middle of a battle for _Cato-Neimoidia_?!"

Anakin swerved the Twilight out of the way of an incoming vulture droid, causing Ahsoka to fly to the ceiling with a cry. "It's not my fault this ship's navicomputer is as crazy as you are!" she yelled at him, falling into her seat with another yelp. She quickly strapped herself in, and just in time. Anakin sent the ship into another bout of death-defying stunts, trying to evade the barrage of blaster bolts surrounding them.

"Incoming transmission!" Ahsoka announced, glancing at the beeping alarm. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Anakin asked, voice tight. She hit the correct sequence of buttons, and it wasn't long before a blue flickering form took shape.

"SKYWALKER! TANO! What the heck are you doing in the middle of my active war zone?!"

Anakin flipped several levers, his hands flying over the controllers of the ship. "Hey, this was not my idea! Ahsoka, man the guns."

Even with the grainy projection, it was obvious that Master Windu was _not _happy. "Whose idea was it then?" he bit out.

"Ask the navicomputer!" Ahsoka threw back, "cause it certainly wasn't mine!"

"You entered the coordinates!" Anakin repeated.

"For Corellia! The bucket of bolts must've shorted!"

"I don't care whose fault it was! Get your blasted butts out of my battle, or I'll shoot you down myself!" Windu yelled. He was still fuming from earlier, and the two idiots coming out of hyperspace right before his attack was not helping his temper any. (Never mind that Skywalker had successfully provided the distraction he needed to launch his attack. But the thought of the dreaded duo actually _helping_ him was too much for the short-tempered Master, so he just continued to yell at them.)

"Ahsoka, forget the guns. Reset the coordinates for Corellia," Anakin ordered, sending the ship into a flurry of dives and flips. The few vulture droids stupid enough to follow quickly lost control, spinning into each other and exploding.

"Working…..on it….." she muttered, fighting with the stupid navicomputer.

"Work faster! You two idiots better be gone by the time I launch my attack, or else—" the threat was cut off as Ahsoka hit the disconnect button. "Thank you," Anakin commented, "but you really _do _need to get those coordinates in."

"I know!" she exclaimed, "but this ship does not like me!"

Skywalker didn't reply, as his focus was once again drawn into the battle. He sent the ship into a steep dive, pulling up just above the Republic flagship and sending a pursuing vulture droid crashing onto the surface. He winced. _That must've caused some damage._As he circled around, the Twilight came in full view of the bridge. A glance through the glass revealed a fuming Mace Windu, fists shaking, his mouth forming the clear words of 'SKYWALKER!'

"Got it!" Ahsoka announced. Anakin nodded, turning the ship away from the battle. "On my mark," he commanded, "I need to make sure we're clear." He then shot his Padawan a smirk. "Let's go out with a bang."

She nodded, smirking right back. "Way ahead of you, Master."

"Three." Ahsoka hit a couple buttons. Anakin swerved out of the way of an incoming squadron.

"Two." The squadron turned, beginning pursuit as Anakin shot passed the final ship. Ahsoka positioned her hands on two separate levers.

"One." Anakin gave the Twilight one final jerk before Ahsoka pulled the levers, one after another. The first emptied the ship of its spare parts, and the second sent the Twilight blasting into hyperspace.

The pursuing droids were dashed against the emptied parts, detonating upon impact. From the bridge of the Republic flagship, Windu watched the distant explosions with obvious disdain.

"Sir, Skywalker is clear. Shall we begin our attack?"

Windu focused his glare upon the questioning Admiral. "Launch the fighters," he commanded.

The Admiral nodded to the two clone commanders onboard the bridge, who in turn made their way to the turbo lifts. Windu refocused on the continuous explosions, scowling as he heard the crew's muttered conversation.

"The General may not like Skywalker," one was saying, "but you can't deny that he's got style."

The Admiral could have sworn he heard a growl come from Master Windu.

* * *

Padme was usually a patient woman. But spending 5 hours on an overcrowded shuttle with a snoring Mon-Calamari next to her, a wailing baby in front of her, and a Trandoshan intent on selling Bail death-sticks was enough to make anyone desperate for an excuse to get away.

She had gotten up to stretch her legs, and was now standing in the extensive line for the 'fresher while discreetly gawking at a sleeping lady's handbag. Smoke was issuing from the top in a steady stream, along with the occasional puff of fire. She squinted in confusion. _What was in there?_

Suddenly, the ship gave a lurch. A Twi-lek ran into her from behind, sending her stumbling into the owner of the handbag's lap. The lady woke up with a yell of surprise, and Padme pushed herself up. "I'm so sorry!" the embarrassed Senator gasped. The lady paid her apology no mind, babbling furiously in an unknown language.

Although Padme could not understand a word, the intent was clear. She high-tailed it to the back of the shuttle, hoping the lady wouldn't follow. She'd take a fishy Mon-Calamari over an angry lady with a flame-throwing handbag any day.

As she maneuvered herself into her seat, Bail looked at her in amusement. "Having fun?" he asked. Before Padme could retort, a lizard-like head poked through the gap in between the two seats. "Want any death-sticksssssss?" it hissed.

Bail rolled his eyes. "No! For the last time, I do not want any death-sticks!"

The Trandoshan sighed and retreated his head, and Padme let out the laugh she had been holding in. Just then, the ship gave another jerk. "We are coming out of hyperspace shortly. Please return to your seats and fasten your seat belts," a voice announced.

"So, where on Corellia was the call placed?" Bail asked, focusing on the reason they were on this shuttle to begin with. Padme shook her head. "I don't know. The records just said Corellia."

Organa groaned as the ship gave the biggest lurch yet, coming out of hyperspace. "So we have absolutely no heading."

Amidala frowned thoughtfully. "Well, we have just got to think. Where on Corellia would one place a call to hire a kidnapper?"

Bail's eyes had widened considerably as he looked out the window. "Hey, Padme? Remember this morning, when you said that not everything had to be a Separatist conspiracy?"

She looked at him in surprise, confused by the sudden change of topic. "Yeeeees," she said, drawing the word out. "Why?"

He pointed out the window, his voice darkening. "I think you may have been wrong."

Padme leaned over to see what he was pointing at. The planet of Corellia was looming up ahead, getting bigger by the second. Her gaze roved around, taking note of the stars, the huge Separatist warship hovering outside the atmosphere, the surprising lack of air traffic, the—wait, Separatist warship?!

"What are the Separatists doing on Corellia?" she gasped.

"They must trying to launch an invasion," Bail murmured, thinking out loud.

"And they are using Chuchi as leverage!" Padme said, putting it together. "The Republic wouldn't dare attack with a Senator being held hostage onboard the ship!"

"Exactly," Bail agreed. They both paused, staring at the ship as the shuttle flew by. "How in the universe are we going to get onto that thing?" he asked.

Padme looked around, a completely and totally insane (not to mention illegal) idea forming. _All I need is a something flammable….._

"Heeeeey, you wanna buy sssome death-stickssssss?"

Before Bail could once again reject the Trandoshan, Padme turned to face him. "I'll take four," she announced, much to the surprise of Bail. The Trandoshan turned towards her as she opened her hand, a generous amount of credits bouncing on her palm.

"Deal," he hissed after a moment of thought. She deposited the credits into his hand, and he rummaged through a rug-sack before handing her four tubes of red and yellow liquid.

"_What _are you doing?" Bail asked her, goggling at the tubes. She shot him a smile, getting out of her seat. "Trust me. Just be ready to get to the escape pods."

"What?!" he exploded. "Padme!"

But she was already walking down the aisle towards the front of the ship, mentally arguing with herself.

_This is insane! You are going to get arrested!_

_ It will be fine! It's for a good cause._

_Yes, because there's always a good cause to blow up a 'fresher like a blasted terrorist!_

_Well, how else are you going to rescue Riyo?_

Padme sighed ruefully. _I've been spending way too much time with Anakin. _

She glanced out the window. She only had a minute or so before they entered the Corellian atmosphere, so she had to make this fast. She resumed her march to the front of the ship, only pausing momentarily to snatch the smoking purse from its owner.

The lady shot up with an enraged yell, but Padme didn't have the time to turn around. In one swift motion, she kicked open the door to the vacated 'fresher, unzipped the handbag, and shoved the death-sticks inside. Without skipping a beat, she chucked the handbag into the refresher and slammed the door. Not three seconds later, a tremendous 'BANG!' resounded from inside, the ship gave a mighty lurch, and alarms started to blare.

"Attention all passengers! Please make your way to the escape pods in a calm and orderly fashion!" the pilot's voice crackled from over the intercom.

Padme joined the (not at all calm and orderly) crowd as it migrated to the rear of the shuttle, where the escape pods were located. Now the trick would be getting an escape pod for just herself and Bail, and then flying the pod to the—

"This pod is broken! Save yourselves!" Padme shoved her way to the source of the cry, finding Bail sitting in front of a vacant pod. "The brakes are broken! Find another pod!" he yelled, successfully deterring others from boarding this particular escape pod.

"Nice one," she commented, climbing inside. He shook his head and followed her in, hitting the launch button on the way. "I figured out what you were doing as soon as the alarms started, and thought to get back here before the crowds."

"Good plan, right?" Padme asked, a mischievous smirk adorning her face.

Bail shrugged. "My first idea would not have been to use death-sticks and a fire-breathing handbag to explode a 'fresher, but it was certainly effective."

"Exactly," she commented, placing her hands on the controls as the escape pod launched into space. "And now, all we have to do is steer this thing to the Separatist ship, and we find Chuchi."

Bail got out his blaster, making sure it was in easy reach. "Right."

Padme then frowned at the controls—or more specifically—the smoking brakes. "Hey Bail," she called in alarm.

"Yes?"

"Were you joking when you said that this pod was damaged?"

His gaze shot to the controls. "Yes," he said, drawing out the word with growing dread. He looked from Padme, who was struggling with the accelerator, to the looming Separatist warship. "Don't tell me….."

"That the blasted brakes are out?!"

"Okay," Bail said (his voice definitely _not_ going up an octave). He began to take deep breaths, trying to reassure both Padme and himself. "Don't panic. Can you steer?"

Padme nodded, her brow taut. She followed Bail's example and forced herself to breathe deeply, to think. "Strap yourself in," she ordered, her only option becoming clear. She couldn't believe she was saying this..."I'm going to have to pull a Skywalker."

Organa's eyes widened as he hurried to do as she suggested. He had been unfortunate enough to have taken part in one of Skywalker's infamous crash landings—in which he did not have the forewarning to strap himself in. Needless to say, Bail had spent a significant amount of time in the med-bay afterwards. If Padme was 'pulling a Skywalker,' this landing was not going to be pleasant.

The pod veered towards an open hanger bay, gaining speed by the second. Padme's knuckles were white as they gripped the controls, trying desperately to pull up in time to make it into the hanger. "Hang on!" she yelled.

With a massive jolt, the pod hit the roof of the hanger before bouncing to the ground. The screeching of metal on metal mixed with the yelling of the pod's occupants as it slid through the hanger, rolling out its momentum; along with flattening anything in its path.

The pod finally hit the back wall, screeching to a halt. Bail, having had his head slammed against the wall several times, gazed groggily around the sparking interior of the escape pod from his upside-down vantage point.

"Huh," he murmured, leaning his head back against the wall. "Not bad."

**So, it's been nearly a month since I've updated, and I have absolutely no excuse (unless you count a severe case of writer's block and summeritus). But hey, I'm back, and I now have a general direction for the rest of the story! Yay! **

**Anyways, so Ahsoka and Anakin are in even more trouble with Windu, and Padme just blew up a bathroom with a fire-breathing handbag and a couple death-sticks. No, I'm not completely certain that death-sticks are flammable, but for the sake of the plot let's assume they are. Oh, and kudos to those who got the Harry Potter reference!  
**

**Reviews are an excellent source of motivation...hint hint :-)**

**Next up: Obi-Wan's Interlude  
**


	6. Interlude

**Obi-Wan's Interlude**

Obi-Wan Kenobi was having an off day. After an hour and a half of searching, he had finally located Senator Chuchi's apartment, and his Jedi status allowed him to bypass the police and enter right away. However, the guard at the door had informed him that Anakin had left quite some time ago, muttering something to Ahsoka about Corellia.

Which meant that Obi-Wan had gone through half a day's worth of trouble for nothing.

Blast.

So, we find him now dejectedly seated on the couch of Senator Chuchi's apartment, staring into space and debating his next move. His most obvious choice is to admit defeat, return to the Temple, and most likely get roped into teaching a youngling class about politics. And, considering his most recent run-in with politicians—when they literally _ran over him_—he thought it best to avoid that option altogether. He would most likely end up breaking the Jedi Code (or at least the parts pertaining to anger) if he had to teach a class on politics.

His other option was to investigate the apartment in hopes that Anakin missed something—in which case he'd probably end up in another wild bantha chase in pursuit of his former Padawan.

The latter option sounding much more appealing than the former, Obi-Wan got up and entered the ransacked kitchen area. He began to examine the area; noting the overturned chairs, the askew table, and the puddles of purple Pantoran blood littering the floor. There was also quite a bit of smashed glass. If Anakin had missed a clue, it would be in here.

Obi-Wan carefully made his way to one of the sideways chairs, where a majority of the glass originated. He began to carefully examine the floor, searching for a torn piece of fabric, a fingerprint—anything that could tie him to—

There. The Jedi Master's keen eyes landed on a long, singular strand of brown hair. Avoiding the glass shards, he picked it up, noticing the thickness of it. It definitely did not belong to any human head, it was much too coarse. The only answer Obi-Wan could think of was, "Wookiee?"

But what in the universe would a Wookiee be doing in Senator Chuchi's kitchen? Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, completely at a loss for an explanation. In his puzzlement, he hadn't noticed that he had placed his hand in one of the purple puddles. It wasn't until he began to feel a cold wetness seep through his glove that he did notice, and yanked his up in surprise.

Obi-Wan stared at his purple-stained hand, shaking his head in exasperation. "Brilliant," he muttered. "Those were new gloves too."

As his eyes once again wandered, they landed on a small, crumpled sheet of flimsi underneath the table. He picked it up, finding an advertisement for employment at Dex's Diner. _What?_

There was absolutely no rhyme or reason behind these clues. Ventress called the Council with a ransom call from Corellia, there was evidence of a Wookiee being in the apartment during the kidnapping, and now there's an advertisement for a job at Dex's! Something wasn't adding up.

Obi-Wan glanced at the piece of flimsi in his hands, before his eyes narrowed. At the places where his wet glove touched, the flimsi was beginning to develop holes.

He knew that flimsi was made to dissolve in liquid, but blood wasn't watered down enough to have as much of an effect. And yet, the Jedi's purple-dipped gloves were causing the flimsi to disintegrate.

Obi-Wan experimentally stuck a finger into the puddle, before hesitantly bringing it to his tongue. His eyes popped open in shock as a familiar flavor hit his mouth.

"Grape juice?!"

**There's a plot twist for ya! Yeah, I know that this was short, but it's called an interlude for a reason...**

**Love it? Hate it? Think I'm insane? (I wouldn't blame you). Review and tell me!**

**Next up: In Which The True Madness Begins**


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